


ain't about the price tag

by montecarlos



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Canon Compliant, Charity Auctions, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Kissing, Kissing in the Rain, M/M, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-03-09 11:12:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13480287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/montecarlos/pseuds/montecarlos
Summary: if robert was in the skills auction, what price would aaron pay to get his ex-husband?





	ain't about the price tag

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short thing based on tonight's episode. I wrote a post about if Robert was in the auction, what price would Aaron pay for him and it spiralled into this nonsense. It's not my usual style but I once I started writing it, I couldn't stop. Title from Jessie J's Price Tag.
> 
> Sort of canon compliant. Aaron and Robert split up because of the ONS with Rebecca but there's no Seb because I couldn't think of a way to write him into the story. Aaron is no longer with Alex either and in this story, Rebecca is out of her coma because somebody needed to fight Aaron for his one true love. 
> 
> Enjoy! :)

“An auction, really?” Aaron grimaces at the poster that his mum waves in front of his face. “I just wanted a quiet evening.”  
  
“It’s for a good cause,” Chas says in exasperation. “So I can’t tempt you to sign up for it?”   
  
“Who would want me?” Aaron says, shaking his head. “I’ll have a pint though whilst I’m here,”   
  
Chas sighs as she grabs a fresh glass. “So no Alex today?”   
  
“Nope,” Aaron says, ducking his head. He doesn’t want to think about Alex at the moment - they had been doing okay, had settled into some domestic routine of kisses and watching terrible movies (Alex’s choice, not Aaron’s) on the couch at the Mill. But there was always something missing, a piece of Aaron that feels like it doesn’t quite fit. Aaron doesn’t have the heart to tell her he broke it off with him a few days ago. It was good for his mental health, allowed him to move on, but it wasn’t what he _needed._  
  
“Shame he could have joined in the auction,” Chas wiggles her eyebrows and he resists the urge to roll his eyes.   
  
“Who could?” Rhona appears from nowhere, looking slightly frazzled.   
  
“Alex,” Chas says, placing a pint in front of Aaron. “People would pay for a doctor’s services...though our Aaron doesn’t have to,”   
  
Aaron grimaces at her words, trying not to think of the hurt on Alex’s face when he had ended it, when Aaron had let him go. He turns his attention to his pint as Chas leans in to glance at the list in Rhona’s hands.   
  
“Why is _he_ of all people on the auction list? What kind of skills would people pay Robert flamin’ Sugden for? Ruining their marriages?” Chas snipes, looking up from the list with dark eyes.   
  
Aaron feels his attention pique at the mention of his ex-husband, shoulders stiffening slightly.   
  
“He offered,” Rhona says, holding up her hands as though in defeat. “And it’s for a good cause after all,”   
  
“Can’t think of one person here who would want to pay for him,” Chas sniffs before she turns her attention to another customer waiting at the other side of the bar. Aaron glances down at Robert’s name on the list and something twists in his chest.   
  
His mum is wrong. So very _wrong_.  


* * *

  
Aaron tucks himself into a corner when the auction begins and sips at his pint as Rhona and his mum work their way through the various villagers. He barely notices Paddy fighting Marlon with his paddle to try and win the services of Jessie and Rhona trying to get _Pete_ of all people - his attention is focused on the blonde man sitting at the bar with Vic by his side, a pint in his hand. He’s trying not to glance at Rebecca sitting at one of the tables. He looks good. His blonde hair is shorter than Aaron is used to but it suits him. The everpresent leather jacket is slung over his shoulders, the same leather jacket he wore when they kissed for the first time - he shakes his head. He can’t think like that anymore. They’re just mates now. He thinks of white hospital walls and the burn of the whiskey and the tears in Robert’s eyes and takes a long gulp of his pint, the alcohol stinging his mouth.   
  
“Right ladies and gents, we’ve got a treat. Mr Moneybags himself, Robert Sugden,” Rhona declares with a wide grin on his face.   
  
Aaron watches as Robert slowly stands up and makes his way over to the makeshift podium, a fake smile pasted onto his face.   
  
“So we’ll start the bidding at a tenner,” Rhona says, smiling as she watches the grimace on Robert’s face.   
  
Vic holds up her paddle.   
  
“What?” She says, catching the confused glances. “He’s my brother!”   
  
“Any advance on a tenner?” Rhona asks the crowd.   
  
Pete raises his paddle with a quirk on his lips. “Twenty quid. You can be my housemaid, Sugden,”   
  
“Hey, that’s not fair-” Robert begins, only for Vic to raise her paddle again in her brother’s defence.   
  
“Thirty quid,” Rhona announces. “Anyone else? C’mon ladies and gents, it’s _Robert Sugden_ ,”   
  
“Forty,” Nicola shouts out, waving her paddle.   
  
“Nicola!” Jimmy stares at his wife, exasperated.   
  
“What?” Nicola says, wide-eyed. “He can do all our paperwork!”   
  
Robert looks appalled at the prospect and Aaron smiles into his pint.   
  
“Fifty,” Ross’s voice pushes through the din of the pub. “Hope you’ll make me dinner, Sugden,”   
  
“One hundred,” Rebecca lifts her paddle, her eyes fixed on Robert, almost hungrily, like she wants a second chance. The pub goes quiet and Aaron feels the dread sink into the bottom of his stomach. He doesn’t want Robert to go to _her_.   
  
“Going once,” Rhona exclaims, eyes roving over the crowd.   
  
Aaron thinks about her taking Robert home with her, pretending that she still has a hold over him. She does in a way - she managed to get under his skin like nobody else did. They’re not together anymore, they’re broken - broken apart by Robert’s lies, by his inability to ever let anything go.   
  
“Going twice-”   
  
He doesn’t realise his paddle is held high in the air.   
  
“Late offer here by Aaron, any advance on one hundred and ten?” Rhona asks, her question directed at Rebecca.   
  
“One hundred and fifty,” Rebecca says, eyes gleaming. She’s not giving up.   
  
“One hundred and sixty,” Aaron fires back, glaring at the blonde woman.   
  
“One hundred and seventy,”   
  
“Two hundred,” Aaron says, trying not to think about the fact that Rebecca could double that figure and get exactly what she wanted, as always.   
  
“Two hundred and ten,”   
  
There’s a pause as Aaron glances at Robert, everything suddenly falling into place once more.   
  
“Three hundred,” Aaron declares, leaning back in his seat and taking a sip of his pint. He watches the resignation in her eyes as her paddle lowers. It’s almost like she recognises that this is a fight worth losing. He ignores the glares from his mum and Paddy as Rhona bangs the gavel down on the table, announcing Aaron the winner.   


* * *

  
“What were you thinking, Aaron? Three hundred quid on _Robert_?” His mum’s words barely register as Robert’s hand curls around his bicep. Warmth spreads over his skin as he follows Robert out of the front door. Robert worries his lip, his hands moving to push into the pockets of his leather jacket, as though he doesn’t trust his hands. It’s started to rain, fat droplets hitting their faces and shoulders, soaking their hair.   
  
“What was that about?” He asks, not meeting Aaron’s eyes.   
  
“Couldn’t let you be sold off to a White, could I? Haven’t you had enough of that over the years?”   
  
Aaron sees the wince of Robert’s shoulders at his words. “Doesn’t explain why you paid three hundred quid,”   
  
“It’s a good cause,” Aaron says, shrugging.   
  
“You didn’t bet on anyone else,” Robert replies quietly, his lip still caught between his teeth, his blue-green eyes flickering up to meet Aaron’s.   
  
“Well, I’ve spent on my money now-”   
  
“ _Aaron_ ,” Robert’s voice is soft, gentle.   
  
Aaron sighs. “I didn’t want her to have you. And I know that I have no right to think that way anymore not after-” He pauses. “After what happened but I-”   
  
“Alex won’t be happy. You betting on your ex-husband,”   
  
_Ex-husband._ The term still stings, even now. “Alex is gone,” He says, looking down at his shoes.   
  
“What?” Shock tinges Robert’s voice. “Why?”   
  
“Does it matter?” Aaron says, kicking his foot against the gravel. “We didn’t fit together,”   
  
“Aaron-”   
  
“He wasn’t _you_.” The words fall out before he can stop them. “It was unfair to keep him when all I did was compare him to you,”

“Aaron, we said we’d be mates-” Robert’s voice is weak, thready. 

“I don’t think I can do that,” Aaron says, feeling tears prick at the corners of his eyes.   
  
“I don’t want to hurt you again,” Robert whispers, water running down his cheeks. “I can’t hurt you again, I can’t do that to you-”   
  
“I know,” Aaron says, nodding. “I _know._ And I hurt you too, hurt _us._ ”   
  
There’s a subtle flicker in Robert’s eyes. “Don’t blame yourself. You did nothing wrong-”   
  
“I gave up on us just as much as you did, Robert,” Aaron says, feeling the rain soak into his hair.   
  
“You didn’t!” Robert shakes his head, water droplets falling from his thick hair. “You did nothing wrong, you did nothing but love me and I messed everything up and-”   
  
Aaron silences him with a kiss. It’s rushed, heated, just like the old times in the barn, in a rushed moment. Robert’s lips are warm, they mould to Aaron’s own as though they were two puzzle pieces merging together, like they’ve found home. Aaron’s hand fists into Robert’s jacket, fingers squeaking against the wet leather as he deepens the kiss. He can feel Robert’s hand curling into the back of his wet curls, fire brushing against his skin. This kiss is different to the others - this one is full of everything Aaron wants to say, every emotion he can’t put into words.   
  
They pull apart, gasping for air, both soaked by the rain. Aaron doesn’t let go of Robert’s jacket - he can’t, he won’t.   
  
“Aaron, I-”   
  
“I’m tired of apologies,” Aaron says softly, eyes on Robert’s wet lips. “I’m tired of trying to be apart from you,”   
  
“Then lets stop trying?” There’s a ghost of a smile on Robert’s mouth, a glimpse of the old Robert, the suave sweet-talking man that Aaron fell in love with in the barn all those years ago.   
  
“Best idea you’ve ever had,” Aaron says, fingers still twisted into Robert’s jacket. “Besides, I’ve just paid three hundred quid for you,”   
  
“Better make it worth your while then,” Robert grins, leaning in for another kiss.   
  
Aaron Dingle might be three hundred quid lighter, but he’s gained something far more precious in its place, he thinks as his lips brush against Robert’s once more. 

**Author's Note:**

> Talk to me on tumblr - lucasdigrassis


End file.
